360 Degrees
by haarp
Summary: Tragedy makes Bella start over in Port Angeles, WA. With a new life ahead of her she doesn't realize that the troubles of her past will come back to haunt her as she starts working at Club 360 Degrees, owned by none other than Edward Cullen.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fan fiction so I hope y'all enjoy it :) I'll be posting links to outfits, locations, music, and other stuff that is talked about in the chapters either in my profile. Check them out!  
**

**FYI: Characters from Twilight don't belong to me, only to S. Meyers. Although, any perversions I'll gladly lay claim to :-) I'm hoping to have this posted on Twilighted soon, and I'll post a link to that in case you are on the site. But, since it takes about 2 weeks or so to get validated I'll post here for now.  
**

**ENJOY AND THANKS FOR READING!  
**

**Chapter 1  
**  
Bella hated to admit that her friend Stacy was right. On the surface Eric seemed like the perfect Friday lay…err…_date__,_ but as Stacy said the night before, "Trust me Bells, Eric is no different than my Derrick, Liam, _or _Robert – they're ALL TALK…."

Stacy pointed her breadstick at her friend to accentuate her point. As she took a bite of the bread, now soggy with soup, she remembered one significant detail. A slow grin appeared on her small round face.

"Although… Robert did this one thing where he-"

Bella's face contorted as she feared what over-detailed story she'd hear from Stacy this time.

"Stace! Please spare me the details….I heard enough of _Robert_ to last a lifetime. That story with the fake fangs or whatever is all I ever even wanted to hear about him again."

Stacy smiled as she relived her memory of Robert decked out in his black leather cloak and plastic fangs while she slurped her creamed chowder soup.

"I know Eric is…..uh….well..."

"Sex on legs?" Stacy smirked.

Bella looked down at her half eaten ravioli to hide the slight pink flush on her cheeks, although the crimson candle that lay between them on the small round table painted her face a more warmer color, exposing her embarrassment. It wasn't usual for her to try to get into her dates' pants (or skirts) on the first date but the "deep connection" search she had so desperately tried to make successful was just going to have to wait...for now.

"Yeah…" she sighed "I know I shouldn't expect much from a guy who competes with his friends in how well he can throw darts at empty beer cans, but I'm just so tired of all this...monotony. At least with Eric I'll be fun…"

She paused, "I think."

"Well Bells, you never know until you try. Although don't be surprised if he'll be too wasted to even get it up. Been there, done that."

After about a half of a semester of dodging Eric's advances, Bella finally gave in. Since her last semi-serious relationship with an over-serious and over-worked nursing student by the name of Emanuel, her quest of "soul searching" only left her with boring Friday nights with her books, while she read about women that actually did something with their time.

She first met Eric while taking her required Algebra class sophomore year at the University. He asked her to be his "tutor", even though she knew she'd better expect to just give him the answers than explaining how to solve matrices.

So on occasion she'd run into him, or he into her, and Bella yet again had to handle his advances.

"Come on Bellie," he'd lean in across her desk, his voice low and husky-like.

"Let me take you out, we can get something to eat…drink a little…have some _fun_". He took her hand away from the laptop she was intently focusing on and started rubbing semi-circles in her palm. She bit her lip as the thoughts of him doing semi circles on other parts of her body came to mind, especially in different scenarios - on the couch in her living room, maybe in the foot-ball stands, the library… or even the planetarium floor.

She shook her head to erase the remaining college porn scenarios and looked up at him through her lashes. His blue eyes eyed her intently, while his pink lips formed into a small smile.

"Pick you up tonight at 8?"

Bella sighed and decided then. _Oh what the hell…_ and found a small bit of pleasure that this time she would actually have a story to tell during her and Stacy's weekly lunches.

"Sure" she smiled "I'll see you then."

So now, decked out in her kitten heels, skin tight jeans and black halter-top she sat on Eric's leather couch as he chugged down the last can of his beer supply. The look on Bella's small delicate face was a combination of complete confusion and blankness, in all honesty. She couldn't compute the fact that this walking-talking sex magnet probably had a bigger hard-on for the piss-like frothy liquid than her small waist and full pink lips. It was like watching an ape, a tall, lean and muscular ape that looked utterly-delicious no matter what it wore play with its own pile of shit. _Why? Why would it do that for god sakes!_

Eric breathed a sigh of relief as he finished his latest drink and threw the empty can into a waste basket nearby.

"Score!" he said to himself triumphantly.

Bella raised an eyebrow and hated herself for not listening to Stacy.

_She'll love every minute of this disaster of a fucking date._

"Now," Eric turned his face to her and with a mega-watt smile that, she thought, was supposed to be his "panty-dropping" smile, while he began to unbutton the top 3 buttons of his white dress shirt.

"Bring that sexy little body over here, Bellie. I know underneath all those math skills are…other….skills…that…uh…" his eyes glossed over a bit, trying to find the right words. Bella tried to contain her laughter as Eric struggled to finish. She glanced over at the clock that was hung on the wall behind Eric.

**9:15 pm**

_At least dinner was good. And the wine was delicious…I should buy more wine…I wonder where I could get a decent wine rack... _She thought to herself.

Her attention snapped back to the present as Eric was still trying to find the right words.

"…that are worth…showing…your other _sexy_ skills." Satisfied with his description he shifted his body toward her, inviting her in.

She sighed and murmured to herself, "At least I'm not alone on a Friday night."

"What's that, sugar?" Erica said leaning in.

She smiled slightly_, _"Nothing…Let's cut to the chase so you can show me all that I've been missing these past couple of months." she purred as she began to take off her heels.

A deep and sexual sound came from Erics throat as he leaned in, but at this point Bella wasn't sure if it was his arousal or involuntary gas from the beer.

After a considerable time of kissing, sucking and moaning against one another, Eric licked down her thin neck, stopping at her halter top.

"Hmm.." he whispered, "This can go…" and smiled against her skin as he undid her top.

Bella's back arched as the cool air from the vent above tickled her bare skin. She wondered how good the cold air would feel on her nipples once they were wet and tender from Eric's tongue.  
She wrapped her legs around his waist and began to slightly rock her hips to relieve the pressure building between her legs. As he kissed along her collar bone, he trailed his tongue down to the tops of her breasts, pushed up by her strapless black push up bra.

"God your tits are so nice," he groaned and began sucking on the soft supple skin above her nipple.

His hands trailed underneath her to unclasp her bra. Bella moaned and bit her lip as she felt his tongue slightly touch her areola. Her hands trailed up and down his back, feeling his back muscles contract as his arms worked on her bra. Once her breasts were free Eric began to assault her hard nipple with the flick of his wet tongue, while he massaged and teased the other with his thumb.

_Mmmm…semi circles…I knew this was worth it…_

Bella squirmed more underneath his weight, as she shifted her hips to grind against Eric's erection.

"Ugh….Eric I want you in me…" she half-moaned and whispered against his neck.

"Trust me baby, I will be in you all night…"

Once her breasts were free from his mouth, she reveled in the way the cold air above breathed on her wet nipples, hardening them more. He moved down toward her navel and began to slightly suck on her skin, trailing his nose up and down her stomach.

"Mmm…youre so soft…"

"You're so hard baby…let me feel you…" she whispered.

"Mmm…Bellie….so soft…"

Bella chuckled to herself. She never had a man react this way to her body before. She made a mental note to thank Stacy again for that 20 dollar French lotion she bought during her vacation abroad.

"Mmm…Bellie…so warm…God I love your skin…it smells soo good…like…some flower or something…" Eric mumbled as he rubbed his cheek into her stomach, tickling her slightly.

Bella giggled and ran her fingers through his hair. Satisfied with what she was hearing she started to massage his scalp a little, showing her affection.

_Sure he's had a little to drink…but this isn't that bad._ _He is a die-hard sports fan…what's wrong with that? I'm a die-hard literature fan. Everyone has their own interests. Sure, throwing darts at empty beer cans is silly but we all have quirky things about ourselves, don't we?  
_  
She grinned to herself and thought about how good it will feel to prove Stacy wrong. She imagined all the details that she would be able to share with her friend. After fantasizing about doing an impromptu victory dance in her heels, she had realized that it's been a while since she heard Eric mumble or moan against her skin.

"Eric…?" she whispered.

Bella tilted her chin down to see Eric completely passed out on her bare stomach, making a slight whistling noise as he exhaled through his teeth. She gasped at the sight. For a second she thought that maybe they've already done it and the numerous glasses of wine made her fall asleep. She still had her jeans on, but perhaps she put them on after they had some wild and crazy sex. She knew it was a stretch but she silently prayed to the heavens as she glanced over at the clock on the wall.

It read exactly 9:30pm.

**Thank you for reading. Please review and let me know what you think. I have chapter two written already (originally chapter one was going to be very long but I decided to split them up, so I will be posting it soon...)**

**~ Haarp  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Bad night?" the cab driver asked as he raised an eyebrow at his passenger in the back seat. One of the perks of the night shift, in his opinion, was that he'd pick up all the drunken party chicks that wore the sexiest outfits. He took deep satisfaction in attempting to help them out of the back seat as their long and freshly shaved legs maneuvered out of the car. Ivory white….dark mahogany…..all in tight and slinky cocktail dresses. The heels they wore would always accentuate their lean calves. He imagined running his tongue up and down those calves while their small toes wiggled through the peepholes of their heels. Sometimes some of them were so tipsy they would fall back into the car as they tried to find their balance while he stood in front of them.

"I'm _so _sorry sir!" they would giggle "Thank you _so_ much for helping. And who said chivalry was dead!"

"Not a problem at all ladies" he'd grin as he'd catch a glimpse of their panty-less crotches. "It's my pleasure."

This time, however, the beautiful brunette that sat in the back wore a frustrated expression and unfortunately, tight jeans that covered whatever type of legs that walked that tight little body.

Bella scoffed, "Bad night? You could say that."

"Wanna talk about it?"

Bella grimaced and shook her head. "Nah…don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?" he asked. Quite often in the past, a crying shoulder and a drink is all a chick would need to-

"_Yes._" she snapped.

The driver chuckled and held up his free hand in defense, "Alright, didn't mean to prod into your business lady. Just trying to be helpful."

As the cab made its way past the empty and deserted campus Bella took out her cell phone from her black clutch. She frowned at the screen while it lit up her face. One missed call and a missed text message. Both from Stacy, most likely. At this point Bella wished there was an emoticon on her phone that read "facepalm", because tonight was by far one of the most embarrassing nights she has ever had.

**Bells! Let me know how the date went…I wanna hear if he's as good as they say he is ;-) – Stace**

Hesitating to write back, she ultimately decided to be short and vague.

**Stace…I'm heading back home. 2nite was interesting…I guess…Let's just say that I xpect u 2 say "I told you so". Call you 2morrow – B**

Almost immediately her phone vibrated, alerting her of a reply.

**Oh no! ….but I did tell you so. Sorry hun…Ill talk to you later. I should set you up with someone good then… – Stace**

Bella grunted at her reply, _no fucking way, _she thought_._

**Stace…correct me if I'm wrong (and I know you will), but u don't exactly have a perfect track record….Ugh, I'll talk 2 u 2morrow…nite.  
**  
She didn't receive a reply and didn't need to. She would have a very long and dreadfully painful recap the next day while they got their nails done. She considered writing Stacey asking her to reschedule the afternoon because after tonight all she wanted to was eat a bucket of ice cream, watch some HBO and sleep through the entire weekend. She didn't even know what she'd tell Eric when he'd wake up alone…

_Oh fuck him and his beer. He's the one that owes me an apology. Asshole.  
_  
As the cab made its way through the city she realized that about 5 blocks from now she would be home and most likely Phil and René would be on the couch watching their movie. "Movie Night" was a staple to their relationship, and no matter how busy Phil was with his baseball career, they always made time to do something together. She rolled her eyes at the thought. Although she was happy René found happiness with Phil, their lovey-dovey activities made her nauseous...especially tonight. She never found herself to be with someone that she felt comfortable doing these _cheesy_ things with. One time Phil ordered a dozen lilies in a crystal vase that had their name engraved on the inside.

After René calmed down enough to form a coherent sentence, the overflow of "I love you's" and "Baby's" she heard was an amount that would last a lifetime. Hell, half the time she didn't _want_ to do the "relationship bonding" things with the guys she's been with, and in one instance, a girl, because that connection just wasn't there. So often, like tonight, she cut to the chase and got physical.

She smiled to herself when Olivia Newton John's "Physical" started to play on the radio.

_Sing it, Olivia. Someone understands. _She thought._  
_

"Here we are ma'm, it'll be $31.28." the driver said. He placed his long arm around the back of the passenger seat and eyed his customer.

As Bella looked into her clutch he began to look up and down her body - slowly.

_Thank god for these broads and purses…always takes 'em a minute to find what they need. _He thought to himself._  
__**  
**_Bella blushed as she couldn't find the $50 bill she knew she placed inside her clutch.

"Shit…" she muttered to herself. "Sorry…one moment…I know it's in here…"

The driver grinned, "Take your time ma'm, I've got all night" as he looked at her naked shoulders and her exposed neck. He wondered how it would feel to have his lips against her pulse…then her collarbone….

"Ha!" she blurted out, snapping him out of his fantasy. "I knew I put it in here. These small pockets always take forever to go through," she grinned and handed him the bill.

"Lemme get your change ma'm, one moment." He turned around and grimaced slightly, soon he would be alone yet again.

She tapped her foot slightly while looking at the house Phil had recently bought for René. Bella insisted on living in on-campus housing to give both of them privacy, but René and Phil wanted to be closer to Bella now that they had a permanent living space. She hoped she might find someone like Phil in her life, someone to have a connection with as her mother had. Her heart broke a little at the fact that René had to fail at one marriage with Charlie to find the right one.

_How long will it take me?_

"You know what? Keep the change sir, thank you." Bella blurted out, wanting to end the night.

"Are you sure?" the driver eyed her speculatively through the rearview mirror.

"Yes," Bella grinned and located his taxi license on the back of the seat. "Have a nice night…Matthew."

Matthew's eyes lit up as he heard his name spoken through the lips of this beautiful brunette.

"Goodnight, ma'm"

As Bella travelled across the small and intricate cobble stones, lit up by the solar-powered lanterns lining up the pathway to the massive house that now she called home, she felt such gratitude for the love and kindness Phil has showed her even though she wasn't his daughter. She felt a brief feeling of relief that after such a messy divorce, things had finally calmed down and things seemed…._normal._ Even Charlie was able to speak to Phil without being cold and dismissive - which was a big step. She smiled to herself, regardless of the permanent grimace she held during the taxi ride.

She took her keys from her clutch and clumsily placed it in the door and stepped in. She could hear the movie through the foyer that greeted you when you first stepped into the house. With stairs that were placed on the side which wound up to the second floor, she placed her purse on the table beside them, and started to undo her strappy heels. She knew that Jane, their maid, would grunt angrily upon finding her heels beside the table, since she pleaded time after time that Bella put them by the front door.

"Hey guys!" she yelled out, stepping out of her second shoe. "Sorry I'm home so soon…" she chuckled, "My night didn't go as I planned." She shook her head.

All she heard though was the screams and bangs of the movie they were watching.

"Oh god Phil, you talked her into watching Lethal Weapon, _again_?" she said loudly as she stepped into the kitchen, looking past the marble bar at the living room.

She noticed they were lying on the couch, with their backs to her, snuggled up closely. She smiled at the sight.

"Do they ever finish a movie?" she muttered as she walked past the kitchen toward the living room.

Bella then realized something was wrong. Something very wrong. As she slowed her pace and looked around the living room, she realized how wrong it all was.

"Oh God…" she whimpered as she fell to her knees and the most gut-wrenching sound came from her mouth, one that would echo through the quiet neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida.

**Read and review please...thanks!**

**~Haarp  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

She scrambled across the floor, on her knees, because frankly, the rest of her body gave out. In a moment of pure selfishness she wished she was wasted, completely drunk to the point of incoherence, just so what she seen seemed like a dream. If it was all blurry, she wouldn't see the gashes, the destruction, the evil...

_I'm dreaming, this is a dream._ _This isn't real…no…it can't be…_

She kept whispering to herself, now underneath the marble bar, on the cold floor. Her words ran into one another and the incoherent noises she breathed out were muted by the loud gunfire of the movie.

_This isn't our house…this isn't Phil and Renne…this isn't our house…thisisntourhouse…thisiisntourhhouseee…_

All she wanted to do was peek over the couch and see Phil and Renne asleep, watching the movie in their silly matching pajamas. Both of their pajama bottoms had patterns of baseballs, bats and bases, something Renne had customized for their 1 year anniversary. Another cute gesture, filled with a hope for a brighter future together.

Bella had noticed the newest crystal vase of roses, freshly delivered that week, on the floor. The vase no longer in one shape but millions of shapes, crystal diamonds, sparkling against the moving lights of the flat screen tv. The dozen red roses or so lay among them, the skin of their petals sparkling with glass. But the roses broke, it seemed, their delicate skin broke and their rich blood seeped out, redder than their color, making a thick pool on the tile floor.

The blood then moved, slowly, making a large radius around the coffee table, sneaking its way underneath the sofa, and making its way to Bella, who lay frozen, hypnotized. Her eyes bulged out, her breathing ragged and her lips trembled at the sight. Her eyes were transfixed on the blood, the way it moved, the way it stalked her, wanting her, craving her.

Was it her turn? Was she next? She eyed the edge of the pool, as it sneaked it's way towards her, inches from her toes. She could swear it growled, it moaned for her, yearned for her skin, only her. She opened her mouth to scream...

She then felt her head drop, hard on a semi-soft surface, and heard what sounded like shuffling of feet, murmurs, snickers.

"Are you okay?" the voice was soft and gentle, melodic.

She gasped for air, and her body suddenly jerked, in reflex. She noticed bodies around her, staring down at her. Looking around she realized she fell asleep in the chair she occupied for an hour and a half at Jacksonville Airport, in terminal B, waiting for her plane to board. Well, it was time to board, and fully realizing that she had somehow slipped off her seat, Bella suddenly felt her face grow hot, cheeks reddening.

"I'm fine…I'm sorry…I-" she stammered.

"No worries," the young lady smiled, "I'm just making sure you're doing fine. We've just starting boarding a moment ago. Do you have your ticket?"

Bella then was able to focus on the young kind stewardess in front of her, probably her age, blond, with an innocent sweet voice.

"Thank you…" She muttered, still embarrassed.

Grabbing her ticket out of her purse she stood up, brushed her jeans off and waited in line. She was glad she had long hair that could hide her flushed cheeks from staring passengers still waiting for other flights.

After finding her seat quickly without any clumsy accidents, which she half expected would happen, given her groggy state, she settled down in her window seat. She didn't bring much on the plane with her. Two luggages of clothes, personal items, paperwork and her carry-on consisted of only a purse. With an early flight at 7:05am, she expected most of the seats to be empty, but that proved to be a failed request to the airport gods, when more people settled in, closing in more and more around her. She was thankful Stacy reminder her to bring her eye mask with her, just for this reason. So as she settled in with her pillow, mp3 player and placed the mask over her closed eyes, she drifted off in a peaceful sleep, oblivious to everything but the voice that rang through the speakers,

"Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking. We like to welcome you on board this American Airlines flight to Port Angeles, Washington…"

She drove calmly, in a dream-like state as she tried to remember anything from her childhood years of living in Washington...playing out memories in her head like movie clips, in slow motion, color-less. When Charlie and Renne were together for the few years in Forks, before relocating to Port Angeles, she would expect solid memories, ones that she was sure happened. It proved, however, to be a failed task. It all seemed blurry, out of context, jagged. This saddened her, because childhoods up to age 13 should be exciting, vivid, care-free… Or so she thought. Maybe nothing ever happened. Maybe that's why Renne left…. She never did say why, just something along the lines of Charlie and her wanting "different things", whatever that meant.

The phone then buzzed loudly against the seat, ringing out a melody of "Papa Don't Preach", snapping her out of her gloom.

She smiled, "Well hey there chief"

"Bells! How was your flight sweetheart?"

"Ha, well I wouldn't know, I slept for most of it."

Silence filled the car.

"Dad?"

"Are those sleeping meds not working Bella?"

Bella sighed. "They are dad…Packing was rough…exhausting really. Stace helped pack but I kinda forgot to take them in the middle of all the packing and paperwork and they completely threw me off schedule. I fell asleep for a while when the plane was late…" She grimaced at her admittance.

"Bells you gotta take those meds, they help a lot, you know?"

Tears stung the corners of her eyes and a lump formed in the throat. She cleared her throat then, to dispel any emotions controlling her small body.

"I know Dad, I just forgot."

She heard her father clear his throat. He was never good with emotions.

"Well I got your room set up for you. It's still middle-school-ish but I hope it'll work for you. I'm sorry I couldn't pick you up, but it's been crazy at the station."

"Dad, don't apologize. This rental car is a million times better than my crappy Ford, so I'm taking advantage of the speed." She smiled, waiting for his reply.

"Be careful Bella," the authoritative police-man voice then emerged, like second nature, "I don't need you getting into a car accident and-"

Her body flinched a bit at what she then expected him to say. She thought for a moment she heard him sharply gasp, aware of what he accidentally was about to say. She decided to swiftly change the subject,

"I'm a good driver, Dad, I was just joking. Do you want to do anything this weekend?"

"Oh I don't know, there's a game on and I loaded the fridge with actual food this time, so don't worry no microwavable food."

"That sounds more like it. You'll be eating like a human being for once." Charlie avoided the oven and stove like the plague. She chuckled to herself, thinking of how much fun it was teaching him to cook spaghetti. She'll enjoy those moments again.

"Dad, I'm going to get off here, my battery is on half power and I want to have some left for the rest of the trip. I'll call you when I get to Forks okay?"

"Sounds good sweetheart…" He paused.

"Dad? You okay?"

"I've missed you Bells," he said, very low, as if expressing that thought was a secret of sorts.

_Oh god no more crying, _she thought to herself. Her hands gripped the steering wheel, turning her knuckles white, keeping her emotions locked inside.

"I missed you to Daddy. I love you, I'll see you soon."

"Love you too" he said, with a smile in his voice.

Hanging up she wanted to say to herself that "Yes, things will be good", but she didn't want to jinx herself. Her father was all she had left.

**Thank you for reading! Please review, let me know what you think. Sorry for the gloominess and the short length. I didn't expect myself to write this evening, and so soon. But like they say, there's sunshine after the storm...or...something like that. Happy Friday!**

**~Haarp  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Over the past couple of weeks Bella had reacquainted herself with small town living. She felt as if she had stepped back in time, away from traffic, angry drivers, and fit and tanned bodies walking around in flip flops and brightly colored clothing. She would take slow and thoughtful walks through Main Street and small alleyways, leading to grassy paths and old sided houses. The only brightly colored items she had spotted were the red fire hydrants, which had begun to fade over time.

She would visit a small coffee shop by the name of _Eclipse_ that was located on the corner of main street and 5th. When she was younger, it used to be a small pet store. She remembered begging her father to buy her goldfish, but after the 3rd try and a fish bowl full of dead fish, her father didn't think Bella was up to keeping small pets alive. Now, the coffee shop was a cozy and dark place, with dark red bricks and vintage photos in modern frames hung neatly above the small iron tables and chairs. Old oil laps were placed on the tables, giving them an ancient glow. They resembled small torches in cold dungeons, although the place seemed to be the warmest place on Main Street.

Lost in her favorite book, Jane Eyre, Bella flinched at the soft tap she felt on her right shoulder. She swung her head around to meet a pair of soft brown eyes; she first noticed the crow's feet at the corners followed by long dark hair framing the wide familiar face. Her breath hitched.

"Mr. Black," she breathed out.

"Bella" he smiled, "I sat there by that window for about 5 minutes wondering if that was you sitting here. I'm happy to see I was right."

He then paused and took in her appearance more clearly.

"Your hair is a lot longer than I remember, and you've grown quite a few inches I think."

Self-conscious, Bella ran her fingers through her hair and laughed, "I've grown a lot since then."

An awkward silence filled their space.

"Well are you going to give this old man a hug or am I a stranger now?" he chuckled.

Bella did as asked and remembered how hugging him in the past while giggling "Uncle Billy" made him chuckle, vibrating his large chest against the top of her head. Although there was no relation, her father and Billy Black were best friends, and on occasion, Charlie's busy schedule left Billy to look out for his daughter.

"I'm sorry I haven't called," Bella breathed, "Everything is still…weird."

His embrace tightened, "I know, Bells, I just wished you would've dropped a line. We all have missed you these past years."

Bella swallowed past the grapefruit-sized lump in her throat. Stepping back and straightening her peasant top she motioned him to sit down beside her.

"Charlie tells me you'll be heading up to Port Angeles to start school next week."

"It's my senior year." She smiled a bright and honest smile. School was a topic she was always sure of.

"Jacob is starting his junior year up there, did you know?"

Bella's eyes widened at the sound of Jacob's name. Somehow she had completely forgot he was a student there and suddenly felt even more guilty for not contacting the Blacks sooner. Although they've lost some contact over the years, her heart warmed at the memories that then filled her head. As a tomboy in her younger years, her and Jacob would do it all – from climbing trees and claiming them as forts to camping out on La Push beach and telling ghost stories, no matter how chilly it got. Unbeknownst to Charlie and Billie, the two friends would cuddle, tightly, to keep each other warm underneath the sleeping bag. Her body would softly shiver as his arm would wrap around her body, warming her up. Soft and innocent kisses would then ensue.

"Wow, Junior!" Bella said, a little more loudly then intended, clouded by the kisses she remembered.

She shifted her body, avoiding the thoughts of his lips. _Not now, Bella…_ she thought to herself and she looked down to avoid Billy's gaze, now perplexed at her reaction.

"I spoke to him last week after I went fishing with your dad and told him you're transferring up there. He's really excited to see you." He smiled and took a sip of his coffee.

"Me too." She grinned back, relieved she now knew someone on campus. She dreaded making the drive alone again and getting settled. Charlie's busy schedule never ceased.

"How come he isn't in town with you?" Bella asked.

"He works full time in between classes. There's a lumber yard up there that a close friend of mine owns and offered to help Jacob out. As you can see, Forks isn't the best place for employment." He smiled and again sipped his coffee, finishing the large cup.

Exhaling and wiping his lips with a napkin, he placed his large tanned hand on hers.

"Listen, Bella," he said softly, leaning in a little, "I know Charlie isn't the best person when it comes to talking, but we were all devastated on the reservation when we heard what happened. So if you ever need to talk, please, my family is here with open arms, Jacob included."

His words warmed her heart, as Jacob's body did in that small tent of theirs. A heavy weight still clenched at her heart and guilt ridden at her selfishness, she whispered,  
"I'm sorry I haven't called Billy…" and looked down at his large hand.

She wished her father's hand felt that warm. But she inherited her lack of body heat from him, it seemed, so his even more cold hand wouldn't comfort her as Billy's did.

"I've been so _selfish_…" Her voice broke.

"Don't be sorry Bella, I understand." Lifting his hand from hers he pushed his cup aside and straightened his back.

"I tend to believe that certain things happen in our lives that either make us or break us…and it's your choice to decide which path you want to take. I think coming back is one of the best decisions you've ever made." The corners of his mouth formed a slight grin.

"I do miss the palm trees and the beach," she said with a sigh.

"You are more than welcome to come down to La Push beach, although the palm trees, I can't help you with." he grinned.

"Billy, I don't think all the times me and Jacob went up there was even a moment of good sun coverage. Us palefaces don't have that lovely copper skin thing going, you know." She chuckled.

"That, my dear, I completely understand. We definitely have an advantage over your people." His lips parted, now showing his wide, toothy smile. He then looked over her shoulder at what she assumed was a clock and sighed.

"Bella, I have to get going. I promised Harry Clearwater I'd go fishing with him since I didn't mention going with Charlie."

"Uh oh," Bella chuckled, "Drama on the rez?"

Billy laughed, "It makes things interesting I guess."

As they stood up and grabbed their belongings they embraced once again and Bella promised to keep in touch with Billy while she attended school in Port Angeles.

"Promise me one more thing," Billy said, with his arms on her shoulders.

"Anything."

"Don't _ever_ call me _Mr_. It makes me feel older than I am." He grinned.

Bella laughed and replied, "Sure _Uncle_ Billy."

As the week progressed, Bella's nerves shot to an extreme she didn't know existed. It wrecked her mood and she found herself snapping at Charlie over a burnt dinner plate or water that overflowed as it cooked the pasta. To make it up to him, she apologized the only way she only knew how, by cooking his favorite meal – lasagna, with 5 cheeses and garlic bread sticks. She originally wanted to make a salad but remembered his aversion to "rabbit food", as he called it, and their last evening together was pleasant and exactly what she pictured a father/daughter dinner to be like.

Getting out of her clothes she stepped into the hot shower to relax her nerves before the morning drive. Before she came to Forks, Charlie was kind enough to make an appointment with the student housing by campus. Incidentally, the lady he spoke with was an old class mate of his and took an exception to reserving a one bedroom apartment for Bella. All she had to do was sign the contract, hand over the deposit and she would officially be a resident of Port Angeles University Apartments. Relieved she had one less thing to worry about, other than settling in and getting to know the campus, she realized that she hadn't called Stacy back after speaking to her once arriving. She knew, however, that Stacy was now preoccupied with a Biology student by the name of Clark, and would probably have her phone turned off in the evening. She stopped her mind from wondering what they were doing – with Stacy, that was a given.

As she grabbed the lime-colored loofah off the hook, she realized that starting her new live on campus would mean many new faces and wondered how they would take her in. Her clothes screamed "tropical living" and Washington wasn't really a tropical place. She knew then would stand out, like the awkward exchange students she remembered in high school. Bella then realized her train of thoughts….me, me, me. _All about me, s_he muttered, and promised herself that in order to avoid breaking hearts of the ones she loved she would remain focused on the ones around her, rather than herself.

Sighing she lathered up the loofah and washed her body, relieved at the way the hot water massaged her tense back muscles. Turning around to face the shower head she rinsed her soapy breasts off and moaned at the relief she felt.

She remembered what Billy had said earlier in the coffee shop…about paths, decisions, and how this might be the best decision she had ever made. How could that be? Did the deaths of the people she love really pushed her to be at the top? She shuddered underneath the hot water and blocked any more thoughts from her head.

As her mind went blank of any memories, thoughts of guilt or stress, she removed the shower head from it's stand and moaned as she pressed it against her sex. Her body reacted with a jerk at the strong flow of water against her clit and she pulled at her nipples with her left hand, hardening them more as she leaned back against the cold tile wall. The contradictory reactions were enough to send her over the edge, however, she tried to keep quiet for her father's sake, asleep in the next room. So she sat on the edge of the bathtub, with one leg propped on the edge and the other on the bathtub floor and pleasured herself until her body gave out to leave her lips swollen and warm from her orgasm. She turned off the water and leaned once again against the wall, cooling herself off.

She had forgotten how pleasurable it was to think of Jacob's lips on her, teasing her tongue and lips with his.

Upon reliving her fantasy again she considered going for round two but glancing at the clock hanging over the towel closet she realized she had to be up in 6 hours and didn't want to run up Charlie's water bill.

Dressing herself in her ratty old pajamas she set her alarm clock and drifted to sleep, dreaming of copper skin, sand between her toes and lips warming her neck. 

**It won't be long before Bella meets Edward and the gang...along with Jacob. Be patient. :)  
Thank you all for reading...please like always let me know what you think. I'd love to know your thoughts!**

**~~haarp  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay…yeah it's been since August that I've posted. The reason is because real life throws you curve balls and you gotta dodge them. I haven't forgotten about this story, and I plan on continuing it now that things are a bit different in my life. I apologize for the break.  
**

**FYI: Characters from Twilight don't belong to me, only to S. Meyers. Although, any perversions I'll gladly lay claim to :-)  
**

**Chapter 5  
**  
Bella woke up right before the alarm clock, which saved her the hassle of rushing across the room and tripping over her own feet to reach the source of the offending noise. She was surprised to find that she slept in the same position most of the night; her two pillows, side by side barely had wrinkles, as well as her thick purple comforter. She turned on her table lamp and glanced around.

"_Here I go again on my own.._" she softly sang one of her favorite 80's tunes and stretched her thin pale arms above her head.

She found Charlie downstairs as she expected, in full uniform and what appeared to be her apron, which she definitely did not expect. He was cooking scrambled eggs, something she also didn't expect.

"Dad?" she arched her eyebrow and her lips quirked up in a sleepy smirk, "what are you doing?"

Charlie turned around, his face slightly flushed from the steam from the large skillet and grinned,

"Your favorite – cheesy scrambled eggs…with bacon bits."

She stared at her father without blinking and took in the surroundings a little more carefully – a spray can of Pam, cutting board with the leftover bacon, and the other items. She taught him well, she thought to herself. She giggled and walked softly toward the stove.

"Mmmm, smells great. I taught you well," she muttered and smiled.

Charlie's face darkened for a split second.

"_I_ should have been teaching you.."

"Dad, stop it."

"No – I'm not going to Bella. I should've done more…or at least-"

"Dad" she said more forcefully, "Listen to me. You did what you had to do, and so did mom. I've grown and I know how to take care of myself…there's nothing wrong with that."

"I just want you to know that if you need anything, please call me. I owe you more than that and-"

"_Charlie_," she said, knowing he hated it but would get his attention and snap him out of his regretful bubble, "you don't owe me anything. And yes I will call you if I need anything."

Charlie looked down at his daughter and sighed, "Good. Now let's eat before you leave."

It was close to 10:15 when Bella reached the outskirts of Port Angeles. Her drive went smoothly and she was able to enjoy the speed of her soon to be gone rental car without any police patrol on the way.

_Sorry Charlie, a girl's gotta live_, she thought, and began slowly accelerating on the highway, with the back windows down.

When the buildings and traffic began to grow more and more by the block she noticed her body, which was all slumped and fatigued from all the stress. She made a mental note to start working out, as a short ride like that shouldn't take such a toll on her body but she also gave herself a little leeway,

_Relax Bella…_

Passing the railroad tracks, she noticed a Kum-And-Go gas station and decided to get some coffee and a snack. Stepping out of her car she made a slight grunting noise and stretched, and grabbed her Jacksonville baseball cap. Pulling her ponytail through the back, she adjusted her sweatshirt and locked the car.

Glancing around the gas station she was relieved it was unlike the dumpy small gas station she had to stop by right after leaving Forks for an emergency post-coffee bathroom break. The bathroom smelled like old tacos and the gas station attendant kept staring at her breasts.

She walked over to the coffee makers and instead opted for a toffee-flavored cappuccino, along with a large blueberry muffin. Her mouth watered at the small snack and she began to walk over to the counter, hoping to quickly pay and finally get settled in. Balancing her large muffin on top of her coffee cup, she struggled to open her large purse, which held an old magazine, an iPod and other items.

"Crap…"

She grabbed the large bag handle with her left hand while holding her coffee and muffin with her right while balancing her purse on her lifted knee, hoping to shift through the items to find her wallet. She moved forward a few steps and balanced her purse….moved forward a bit more and balanced it again….on the third try she set all her items with a resigned sigh and dug into the bag.

She finally found her wallet and grabbed a ten dollar bill. Placing it in-between her teeth and swinging the large purse over her shoulder she stood up and took a bouncy step forward, looking down at her muffin, wondering if she should tear the wrapping off already. As she stepped forward again, she took a small, careful sip of her hot cappuccino she then was stopped by a hard back, which automatically pushed her back.

"What the fu-" the voice muttered angrily, and the hard back became a chest, with one arm bent and long slim hand holding a black cellphone to an ear.

Out of surprise, Bella swallowed the hot liquid quickly, choking on some of it. She coughed a loud, unattractive hack, and wiped the back of her hand on her small mouth, which had a drop or two of the cappuccino. She slowly glanced up from under her baseball bill and noticed two angry eyes staring at her.

"I'm s-sorry" she stuttered, and swallowed loudly. Her tongue and throat hurt. She didn't expect to be enjoying her blueberry muffin now, or anything else for a day or two – the cappuccino was hotter than she expected.

The green eyes, underneath dark brows softened a bit, probably at her small features and apprehensive look in her eyes. Without saying a word, he turned around and continued the conversation.

"Emmet, I'll call you back." he said and didn't give the other caller time to reply, as he quickly slid his phone shut.

Still embarrassed, Bella looked down and noticed his outfit. He wore what appeared to be very nice dress pants, with a dark navy blue dress shirt tucked in, with barely any wrinkles on his back. She then thought of her appearance – old worn baseball cap, ratty jeans and a very wrinkled sweatshirt that had an old coffee stain on it.

Her cheeks turned slightly pink at the situation. She couldn't even fathom what was going through his head, all nicely groomed and professionally dressed. Probably thought she was a drifter of some sort.

"What do you mean you only take _cash_?" he said with disbelief and strong distaste at the word "cash".

"I'm sorry sir, we're working on fixing it and-"

"You're a large truck stop located on a major highway, not some hick-ass hut in some Podunk town. What the fuck am I supposed to do now that I've filled up? I ran my card through the machine outside and filled my car up, and now that I printed my receipt it says it's been denied? What kind of business are you people running here?"

"Sir, I understand, and I apologize. We've had several malfunctions and were about to post-"

"I don't give a fuck what you were _about_ to do."

The attendant began to stutter through what sounded like words. Bella could feel the anger radiate from the man in front of her and carefully took a small stop back, just in case he would literally explode, or make her his latest victim of verbal abuse. She didn't really see what the problem was. Usually if the card has been approved the pump can be used…he could always call corporate or the manager...But, she wasn't about to voice her opinion.

"S-s-sir, there is an ATM machine in the plaza next to us that is fully functional-"  
before the poor worker could finish, the tall man huffed and stormed out, apparently walking to the plaza connected to the gas station to retrieve the cash.

Bella glanced up as he left, catching a whiff of what smelled like aftershave or cologne…maybe a combination of both, she couldn't tell, but she then wished her cappuccino smelled like that. She noticed his large purposeful steps and the way the shirt clung to his back, slightly muscular it seemed. Lastly, she caught a glimpse of his profile, full with tension, as it disappeared behind a cigarette poster plastered on the window. She couldn't tell the exact color of his hair. It appeared to be brown, maybe with a bit of copper thrown in, but it was short and a little long in the front. Every part of him seemed well put together but his hair, which seemed completely chaotic and unable to be tamed. She liked that.

Bella then heard a gruff sound, someone clearing their throat. She turned to the attendant that now had a bit of a flush to his round, mole covered face. A bit of sweat had accumulated on his temples and his forehead was shiny.

To alleviate the awkwardness, she placed her items and large purse on the counter a bit too loudly and cleared her own throat to break the silence.

"That'll be all" she said happily and forced a grin.

"$5.34, ma'm" he said softly.

"Here's a 10" Bella placed the bill in his hand and smiled widely, "_Cash"_.

He noticed her kind gesture and smiled a small, reserved smile.

As Bella exited the door she glanced to her left, in the direction of the plaza to see the angry man at an ATM, shifting from foot to foot, clearly agitated. For some reason she had hoped she was filling up too, in order to see his face longer and take in his body with her eyes under more-relaxed circumstances. She imagined taking a peak at his form while getting a squeegee to wash her windows, bending over the hood, hoping that maybe, jut maybe, he would look at her backside and strike up a conversation. Bella then remembered her outfit and her droopy jeans, and realized that instead he'd probably feel the same distaste for her appearance as he did apparently for cash.

Bella was then transported back to reality as a loud "FUCK" came from the angry brown/copper haired man at the ATM. She turned around now and noticed the man smacking the side of the ATM, then giving it a promising kick. She giggled to herself at the sight.

_What an asshole._

She got in her car and sipped on her cappuccino very slowly, hoping to avoid the sting her tongue felt. She sighed, wishing she could enjoy the hot beverage a bit more and started the car, taking a U-turn by the parking lot and exiting the gas station, with a miniature view of the cash-hating man in her rear-view window, stomping back to the gas station.

As she approached the congested downtown area she passed buildings that looked a bit worn and grungy, along with what appeared to be new establishments. Brand new realty offices, florists and antique furniture stores filled up space, along with quaint bistros and liquor stores. As she got closer to the campus, she noticed some "Help Wanted" signs at some stores and was relieved that she could hopefully snag a job with good hours to be able to support herself financially. Even though she had received a large sum of insurance money from her mother, she wasn't in a hurry to use it.

As she came to a red light, four lights away from the university apartments, she noticed a large building, set aside from the rest, which were mostly joined together. It appeared to be an old firehouse. A large and bold sign hung against the wall above the entrance – 360 Degrees. The sign was a deep, dark red and it looked like the letters were on fire, with flames coming up from the top. The wall was painted black, which accented the black iron gates that separated the sidewalk from the outdoor seating area. Past the chairs and tables was a wall of glass, with a pair of doors installed, presumably an entrance to the rest of this building. It looked like a club, or maybe a steakhouse – she wasn't sure.

On the far right side of the iron gate entrance was a banner that said "Wednesday Nights: Open Mic Nite" along with other announcements. She glanced back to the main entrance and noticed a small red sign on the glass door which said "NOW HIRING". She remembered how many tips she'd get while waitressing at the local bar and grill in Jacksonville, especially when wearing her small black skirt and tight white top with the logo "Tony's Bar and Grille" sown into it. The guys would call her "Sookie" and joke about ordering bottles of "True Blood". However, some nights however, she detested working at a place where most of the area's businessmen came to do their deals. Their inappropriate comments and sometimes alcohol laden advancements made her regret her short skirt, when the other girls wore the modest knee length capris. She thought, however, that if she made enough tips per week along with a second job, she could use the least amount of funds from what was given to her from her mom's insurance policy…

She sighed and shook her head, removing that thought from her head. Over these next couple of weeks she will have to figure out, someway, somehow, of not returning to those thoughts, those heavy, dark, thoughts that weighed her entire being down.

Once the light turned green she sped up the car, coming closer to her final right turn as she arrived at Port Angeles University Apartments, her home for the next year.

After meeting with Miss Cope, the lady at the front office, she was now ready to unload all of the crap she was able to fit into her rented four door car. She decided to check out the apartment first before unloading and walked up the stairs to the second floor, where her apartment, 311 was located, with a worn welcome mat in front of the plain dark brown door. She walked in and noticed the faded aroma of paint and was pleased to see the apartment was a nice enough size for her. It held a small living room and a modest kitchen with a bar and a lamp hanging above. She closed the door behind her and dropped her purse by her feet and walked down the hallway to inspect her new bedroom. On her way there she eyed the bathroom, liked what she saw and stopped in the door way of her bedroom. Good enough to fit in a queen bed, a small desk and a bookshelf for other items. Smiling, she walked back to the front of the apartment and grabbed her keys from her purse to return to the car to start unloading.

Charlie helped her load the car back in Forks, and before leaving gave her a dolly so she could make the boxes they had neatly placed in the trunk and back seats easier and quicker to remove and take to her new home. She began loading the boxes and then tipped the dolly to start wheeling it behind her. Without paying attention to where she was wheeling the items off to, the right wheel caught the edge of the curb and the sharp bump caused the dolly to suddenly tip to the left, making the boxes slide off and topple to their side.

"Damnit…." She groaned and bent over to begin placing the books that fell out.

"Do you need any help?" a chipper voice said behind her.

Startled, she turned her head back sharply to see where the sudden voice came from. It was a girl about her height, with large breasts held by a too-thin yellow spaghetti strap tank top and her blonde hair in a tight pony tail. She couldn't see the girl's eyes as they were hidden by her designer sun glasses, and she wore hip hugging jeans and black stilettos. Bella wasn't sure how she could walk, let alone carry boxes in such high heels but gave her a benefit of a doubt.

"Uhm…sure" she said and the girl bent beside her, placing the rest of the items back in the box.

"I'm Jessica, I live on the floor below you I think. Did you just walk down from the second floor?"

"Yeah, I'm in 311."

"That's exactly above me!" Jessica said enthusiastically, and giggled.

Bella forced a grin, since she wasn't sure what the big deal was.

"My brother and I are roomies since freshman year. I graduate next summer."

"That's…cool." Bella loaded the last of the books and lifted the boxes onto the dolly.

"Are you a freshman?"

"Oh no, junior. I'm a transfer student." She began to wheel the dolly, slowly, this time, up the ramp, avoiding any obstacles that would somehow make it topple over again.

"Cool! Where are you from?"

"Uh, Jacksonville…." She hoped she wouldn't receive the 21 questions. She hadn't exactly thought of what to tell people, or how to word what happened, without completely freaking them out.

_Hi, I'm Bella. My mother and step dad were brutally murdered, so here I am!_

"Wow, that's like, right by the ocean, right?" Jessica then took off her sun glasses and she pressed the elevator button. Bella noticed her extremely blue eyes. It reminded her of the ultra blue sky by the beach during a cloud-less day.

"Yepp, palm-trees, the whole nine."

"Huh. So what made you move all the way to Washington?"

_Shit, shit, shit…_

"Uh. Well my dad…he lives in Forks and umm….I haven't lived near him for a bit, so I though it would be a good change."

"Oh okay!" Jessica said, with the same enthusiasm. Thankfully, she bought the lame explanation.

"Does your mom live in Washington?"

_Dammit, what is with you and all these questions?_

"No, she doesn't." Bella hoped that would end it.

"Well, hopefully you can visit her sometime!" she said cheerfully and walked out of the elevator and placed her hand on the door, making sure it wouldn't close in on her.

Bella' heart sank, and she didn't say any further. She tried to focus on wheeling the dolly carefully and straight down the hallway to avoid any incidents. She hoped Jessica would see her help wasn't really needed, even though Bella still had quite a few trips to make.

As she took her keys out of her pocket to open her door, Jessica's phone rang.

"Hi bro! Yes I'm here. Well, no, I mean, I'm at the apartments but I'm on the second floor-no, I was helping, uh – What's your name?"

Bella wheeled in the dolly into the living room and began sliding the boxes off.

"Bella"

"Her name is Bella! And she is from Jacksonville, how cool, right?"

_Okay, please end this, please…_

"Sure! We'll be right out. See you then." Jessica slid her phone shut and placed it in her back pocket. She clapped her hands cheerfully,

"Mike will be waiting downstairs for us!"

Bella looked at Jessica blankly,

"Who…?"

"Mike! Oh, sorry, my brother" she smiled. "You'll love him, he' a blast."

"Oh, okay…"

As they made their way down outside, Bella noticed a tall blond haired guy, playing with a keychain that hung from his neck. He had a lean build – a runner's build by the looks of it and wore khaki pants and a tight v neck shirt. His eyes matched his sisters.

"Mike! This is Bella, our new neighbor! Well," she laughed, "sort of."

Bella grinned and took her hand out, "Nice to meet you Mike."

_Hm….Not bad…hopefully not as bouncy as his sister._

Mike nodded and with a slight glint in his eye, his lips slowly curved upwards. Taking his hand out he answered, "Pleasure's all mine. Welcome to Port Angeles."

He squeezed her hand gently and held it a second longer than she would've expected. She looked down and flushed. She felt his eyes on her as she turned to Jessica, hoping she would start talking soon.

When she didn't and only seen Jessica wear a stupid grin while looking at her as well she decided to save herself,

"Well, sorry to cut this short guys but I have to finish unloading and call my dad to let him know I got here safely….it was nice meeting you."

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Jessica said. Mike stepped forward, a little too excited by that prospect.

As much as Bella wanted to see Mike bend over to pick up boxes in those khakis, she promised herself she would have to get out of these clothes, take a hot shower, and then go shop around for things she needed with money she had saved up.

"I'm actually fine, this won't take me long. I've got a few errands to run before Monday."

"Great! I hope to see you around." Jessica said, "I love meeting people from different places."

"Thanks. It was nice meeting you both again." Bella smiled and turned to head back to her car.

"Oh Bella?" Mike said. He had a nice voice.

Bella turned around and seen him smile, "There's a party this Saturday at the Delta Sigma Phi house, you're more than welcome to join us."

"Party?" Bella hesitated. She's been to loads of fraternity parties in the past and had very good luck with whom she ended up meeting, and so far, her luck has definitely not run out having met Mike, but she wasn't sure what exactly she was looking for…if she was, at all.

Jessica interjected by jumping slightly, making her breasts ridiculously jiggle. "Yes! You have to go, we can pick out some cute outfits together!"

"Um…I'll think about it" Bella replied and shrugged, "I'll see how much I can get done. Just give me your number and I'll let you know."

Upon sliding the last box off the dolly, Bella leaned against her living room wall and slowly slid down. She fished out her cell phone out of her pocket and began to write a text message.

**Hey Dad, got to P.A and unpacked. Gonna go do some shopping soon. Thnx 4 everything. Luv you – B**

She knew her dad would probably take some time to reply so she decided to text Stacey, as she promised to text her when she'd arrive.

**Stace, got settled in. One more year and I will finally b done with school! Fuck yea! **** Miss you, love ya and hug a palm tree for me – B**

She got up and stripped of her clothes. Grabbing the spare towel she packed with her, she headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

After the hot water massaged all the knots out of her back she changed into her yoga outfit and tower dried her hair. It was only a little after 1 and it was Thursday – three days before the semester started. As relaxed as she was, she also became sleepy, as all the stress had finally caught up with her.

Wishing she would've brought the inflatable bed that Charlie insisted she'd take, she made a mental note to remember to check out any sales on mattresses in a store she seen downtown as soon as possible….well, maybe tomorrow. For now, however, the soft thin carpet would do, and a couple of sweatshirts became a small pillow, absorbing extra moisture from her hair.

She lay on her back and stared at the popcorn ceiling above while her breathing became shallower. Her thin pale eyelids started slowly drifting over her eyes and she began to slightly snore…

She suddenly awoke with an extremely cold sensation against her back. She shifted to her right shoulder to avoid the feeling but that was replaced with an extremely hard surface. The bones in her back ached. Opening her eyes she was not in her small modest Port Angeles apartment, she was back in Jacksonville, in Renee and Phil's house. The cold surface was the marble tile that adorned the foyer, and when she realized fully where she was, her body shot up and she found herself on her feet, rushing through the house to the living room.

"Mom!" she yelled, "Where are you?"

"Bella.." she heard a female voice. It sounded like a whisper.

"MOM! Is that you?" Bella frantically ran to the coffee table in front of the couch, taking a wider look of the space.

Glancing around the living room, she noticed a body, hers in size with a yoga outfit, on its side by the coffee table in the sun room. The hair, exact in color and length, glistened in the light hanging above it. The head was turned at an odd angle toward the corner of the room while it lay on the marble. She noticed blood splatter against the wall, and while she staggered to the body she then realized that the left side of the skull was missing, which explained the strangle angle the head lay in. The splatter on the wall, which could now be explained as blood splatter and remnants of a head, slowly dripped down to the floor below.

Her hand flew to her mouth as an inaudible gasp escaped,

"Oh god…"

"Bella…." She heard the voice again. It sounded hoarse.

"Tell me where you are! Please!" tears began to run down her soft cheeks. She looked around her, past the bar, and back into the living room. Her knees shook, and she grabbed the edge of a nearby bookcase to keep steady.

"You weren't here Bella…"

Heavy sobs escaped Bella's chest as her knees finally gave out.

"Fuck…..Mom, I'm so sorry….I should have been here….I could've helped….." Her hands covered her face, now all wet and sticky.

Her body shook violently as she fell to her side and curled up, hugging her knees against her chest.

She looked back at the body behind her,

"It should've been me….I'm…so….sorry…." Her stomach ached from the sobs, and her head began to throb.

"Mom….please forgive me…"

She then opened her eyes with some struggle, as her tears made her eyelashes stick together. She rubbed her face quickly, realizing she was back in her apartment on the floor, completely soaked in sweat. Realizing the dream she had re opened the flood gates, and her soul poured out on the carpet for the next half an hour or so.

Once empty, she sat up, grimacing. She wondered if she had any more aspirin left in her bag, and dreaded going out in public looking the way she did. Standing up, she again stripped down naked and hunted down something else she could wear after she took her second shower.

She decided then a bed couldn't wait until tomorrow and it was the last time she'd sleep on the floor, hoping a comfortable bed in a cozy bedroom would cease her dreams.

****Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think.****


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